Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  -  November 18, 2014, 9:23 AM Association of Asia Pacific Airlines members hope to see some relief from downward yield pressures next year. (Photo: Flickr:  Creative Commons (BY-NC)  by  Pieter v Marion ) Profitability remains elusive for Asian carriers facing challenges of surplus capacity even though most economies across the Asia-Pacific region continue to grow. “This is likely to continue in 2015…We hope it will stabilize next year,” said Association of Asia Pacific Airlines ( AAPA ) director general Andrew Herdman in Tokyo at a press briefing on the first day of group’s November 18 to 19 annual Assembly of Presidents.  Already, anecdotal evidence suggests deferment of delivery and reduction in staff as aggressive pricing intensifies, Herdman added.  However, after years of no growth, air cargo volumes have accelerated, a positive note for Asian airlines that account for 38 per...

AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE  »  NOVEMBER 26, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Singapore Airlines’s recent acquisition of a 10-percent stake in Virgin Australia is a prime example of the wave of strategic realignments now happening in the Asia Pacific air transport sector. (Photo: Airbus) November 26, 2012, 6:00 PM Tough economic times are resulting in innovations by carriers in the Asia Pacific region looking beyond traditional business models through strategic realignments and new product offerings. Recent ground-breaking deals include Virgin Australia selling a 10-percent stake to Singapore Airlines ( SIA ) and buying 60 percent of Tiger Airways; the new partnership between Emirates Airline and Qantas; and Etihad Airways purchasing a 10-percent stake in Virgin Australia. “It is hard to say who is next. Qatar Airways said it would never enter into an alliance, and within a week it was in bed with British Airways,” commented ...